Banks: Don’t blink!

Johnathon Banks

By Bob Ryder

Undefeated cruiserweight contender Johnathon Banks battles newly-crowned IBF champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek tonight at Newark’s Prudential Center . FightNews recently caught up with the cruiserweight contender at a local Kronk amateur show. “My training has been going fantastic, my trainers Emanuel Stewart and Sugar Hill have got me completely ready, ” Banks stated. When asked if he had watched the Adamek-Steve Cunningham battle, Banks leaned forward and said: “Oh, yeah. When I saw that one I told Emanuel, please make this match! I’m a much bigger puncher than Cunningham and when I saw Adamek getting hit with those shots, I knew this was my fight.”

However Banks denied that his strategy was to go for the knockout, relating the standard “if the knockout comes, it comes.”

Johnathon did say he was anxious to see what happens when he lands a big punch on Adamek’s chin. When asked what if nothing happens, Banks responded: “Then I’ll keep landing them until something does!”

Bottom line is Banks sees himself as the much bigger man in this match-up. He credits his gym work with heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko as giving him the strength and conditioning to dominate at cruiserweight. He compared the size and strength differential of his showdown with Adamek to classic Foreman-Frazier. “And I’m playing the part of big George,” Banks stated confidently.

Happy for the opportunity to go for the championship before the fans in the USA (Banks has had to fight in Europe to keep busy), he also views this fight as an opportunity to bring big time boxing back to Detroit.

“Look out for Johnathon Banks, the title is coming back to Detroit!”

Confident that he will win, Banks stated he wants to a make an early title defense in the Motor City.